Identity Theft Protection

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By Nat Sillin Few things cause more concern than a letter in the mail from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Though the agency sends out letters or notices for many reasons, identity theft is one of the fastest-growing issues for the IRS. In short, identity thieves have been capturing Social Security numbers and other tax filing data file fraudulent returns for the purpose of stealing tax refunds. This has been a …Read More

By Kimberly Rotter Identity protection is more than safeguarding your credit card numbers while shopping and your passport while traveling. In addition to old fashioned pickpockets on the subway, cyber thieves are standing ready, looking for a chance to five-finger your valuables digitally. And a trusted person with access to your home can become a perpetrator when given the opportunity. “Identity theft can happen quickly, and unfortunately sometimes from people …Read More

By Jason Alderman Youâ€™d have to be living under a rock not to be concerned about identity theft. It seems like every other month thereâ€™s a new report about another massive data breach somewhere in the world. Not surprisingly, a thriving industry has sprung up around helping to protect consumers from identity theft. Most of these services are pretty expensive, and many consumer organizations argue that they merely take actions …Read More

By Jana Castanon It seems when it comes to stealing from other people, ID thieves are willing to reach beyond the grave. Itâ€™s sad to think that our loved ones identities could be used to commit fraud, and unfortunately each year millions of families are affected. The thieves use the information from obituaries, and even the Social Security Administration, to gather information they need to commit crimes. Aptly enough, the …Read More

By Jana Castanon Recently in the news we heard that 13 politicians and celebrities had their personal information hacked from their computer and posted on an online website.Â While some of the information was false, the credit reporting agency Equifax was able to confirm that in at least 4 cases the information posted was accurate.Â Consumers should take notice.Â Even being diligent with online security measures is sometimes not enough.Â While hackers are getting …Read More

By Neale Godfrey Imagine finding out that your eight year-old has a house in foreclosure thousands of miles away.Â How about getting collection calls becauseÂ your young teen is several payments behind on a car loan? These are not far-fetched scenarios.Â According to a study conducted by Carnegie Melon’s CyLab, over 10% of the children studied reported that someone had used their Social Security number fraudulently.Â Kids have pristine records with no real …Read More

By Jana Castanon Be Aware Now Identity Theft. You know what it is. You have heard ads, news reports, and warnings on ways to protect yourself.Â You probably have a firewall on your computer, are more cautious when you are using your credit or debit cards, and more mindful when you are giving out personal information.Â But, are you protecting yourself from the fastest growing area of identity theft – income tax …Read More

By Carla Blair You may think if you have your Social Security number locked in your memory bank â€“ and you definitely should if youâ€™re an adult â€“ that youâ€™re all set and your information is secure, and that you donâ€™t need your Social Security card on hand. But youâ€™re ignoring the fact that if you donâ€™t know where it is, someone else might, and this can be dangerous for …Read More

By Ashley Hagelin Nearly every day we hear about another identity theft scam, or get another phishing email trying to get our personal information so some con artist can help themselves to our money or credit. Technology has made our lives so much more convenient. However, as we enjoy the fruits of the information age our personal information is bouncing around everywhere. So how do we make sure that our …Read More

By Gail Cunningham For many Americans the onset of spring and fresh air outside means spring cleaning inside. It’s time to swap winter clothes for spring/summer ones, and to get rid of the dust and clutter that’s built up over the cold months. Spring also is a great time to put your finances in order and save money in the process.TheÂ NFCC suggests the following tips for tidying up your finances. …Read More